Nathaniel is 2!!!

Our sweet baby boy is 2 today! I am amazed how much he has grown up in just the last few weeks. He is finally starting to say words, and he just constantly makes us smile. The greatest blessing is that we can tell his health has really improved over the past few weeks. He is slowly starting to be able to eat without choking and he rarely to never sounds rattly anymore and is starting to be able to clear his throat out and while he still struggles with textures he is starting to try more things. I have said it a million times but we all feel the same about this little boy... that he is a true gift. A miracle! We are all so protective of him... I watch his siblings with him and it's like they are also the proud parents. They give him the world...at least all of the world they have within their reach! I watch each one of them with this little guy and they just take care of him... they adore him. Which isn't such a big deal because there is a lot of mutual adoration going around most of the time! I have said this a lot also but there are times when it takes my breath away when I think of those nights when I worried and wondered what was going to happen with this little man. I remember how afraid Thayne was of even leaving the hospital when he was born...we both had such strong promptings that things weren't as they seemed and that there were problems. I think about that first life flight trip, not knowing what was wrong... afraid that we were going to lose him. Those weeks we spent in the hospital, the struggles just to keep him breathing. I am overcome with gratitude when I think of how the Lord carried me through those nights before we knew what was wrong with him... with the ability to stay awake night after night with him sleeping on my chest... how many nights I would wake up to notice he was not breathing. His smile has been a light to us since he was only days old, and we all still love to make him smile! We feel so blessed to have him be a part of our family... I feel so blessed to be able to be his mom!

Happy Birthday little man... you continue to bring us so much joy and we love you!

He loves Cars....
He found his presents in our closet last month and has been playing with them since then... but he got his truck and bus today and thinks they are so fun! Love his sweet smile here... excited to show me his new toys!
Kami and Nate checking out the cake!

Sneaking into the icing...

Notice the red frosting on his finger...

"I can blow them out... I know I can!" He practiced last night with cupcakes and blew them out with one try... it took him a couple of tries this time!

Getting closer!

Closer........

Getting there....

YAYYYYYYYYYY.... I did it!!! He was so excited that everyone was clapping that he blew out the candles!

Licking the candles....

Show me what's in your mouth...

Say cheese........

We sure love this little man... he always makes people smile!

Yummmy.....

Red frosting everywhere!!!